Turn old tech into treasure for your school

Wastebuster, Recycle Your Electricals and Currys have teamed up with Microsoft, Ecogenesys and DHL to launch a new nationwide campaign for primary schools. The Hidden Treasure Hunt encourages families to recycle their old, unwanted or broken tech and small electricals – to be in with a chance of winning prizes for families and schools!

The Hidden Treasure Hunt is a fun and rewarding way for pupils to learn about recycling, reuse, and sustainability – while giving your school a chance to win a share of £20,000 in Currys’ vouchers for Microsoft tech. Once your school has signed up, every time a family registers their recycling, your school earns a Planet Care Point – taking you one step closer to a big prize – and there are prizes for families too! (Terms and conditions apply).

How it works

Every home has a drawer full of forgotten gadgets, tangled cables and broken tech. The Hidden Treasure Hunt encourages pupils to take what they’ve learned in class and go on a ‘treasure hunt’ at home – searching out any old, unwanted or broken tech and small electricals!

Step one: Rummage – Pupils hunt out old, unwanted or broken tech and small electricals at home. Anything with a battery, plug or cable can be recycled.

Step two: Recycle – Families bag up their recycling and bring it to Currys or a local Recycle Your Electricals drop-off point. At Currys, you’ll get at least a £5 discount voucher to spend on purchases over £25. Even better, if you have tech like laptops, mobiles, or consoles, they could be worth more. Just ask the friendly Currys team about their trade‑in offer* and see how much extra value you can unlock! 

Step three: Register – Scan the QR code in-store at Currys and register your recycling to earn a Planet Care Point for your school. Every point helps your school climb the leaderboard for a chance to win tech prizes!* – and you’ll automatically be entered into our termly tech prize draw!

If you’re dropping off your items at a collection point other than Currys, your registration will still earn a point for your school. But to be entered into the termly tech prize draw, you’ll just need to snap a photo of your recycling at the drop-off point and upload it when you register. 

Win prizes worth £20,000

Termly prize draws

Schools and individuals have the chance to win Currys’ vouchers for Microsoft technology every term when they register their recycling: 

🏆 Spring 2026: 2 schools win £1,000 + 10 families win £100

🏆 Summer 2026: 1 school wins £1,000 + 10 families win £100

National Leaderboard finale

PLUS: there is a grand prize in the summer term for the top three schools on the Leaderboard:

1. 1st place – £10,000 of Microsoft tech 
2. 2nd place – £3,000 of Microsoft tech 
3. 3rd place – £2,000 of Microsoft tech 

Free campaign resources

Sign up to the Hidden Treasure Hunt and you’ll get access to a huge range of resources, with everything you need to run the campaign in school, including:

• Assembly slides and a teacher’s quick guide
• Classroom activities linked to science, geography and citizenship
• Promotional posters and take-home materials
• Fun videos starring HypnoCat and Captain Busta

PLUS: We have a limited number of printed supporting resources available for the first schools to sign up – so don’t miss out! Sign up today.

Data wiping

Don’t forget to back up and remove your personal data before parting with your tech – Visit Recycle Your Electricals to find out how. Any tech you drop off at Currys will be safely data wiped to UK Government standards.

Trade in - Turn old tech into treasure

Currys makes it easy to turn old gadgets into gift cards. From phones and smart watches to laptops and tablets, you can trade in selected tech online or in-store*. Currys will value your device and give you a Currys gift card to spend on the tech you really want. Check if your gadget qualifies and more details on the Currys Trade-In page.

Why get involved?

• Bring sustainability and circular economy learning to life.
• Easy-to-run, curriculum-linked activities with ready-to-go learning resources.
• Help families recycle safely and responsibly.
• Give pupils the power to make a difference – and win rewards for their school and families!

Whether it’s one class, your Eco Team or the whole school taking part, don’t forget that every registration counts!

Sign up your school for the Hidden Treasure Hunt today

*Terms and conditions apply for Hidden Treasure Hunt prizes and Currys promotions